No, I haven’t been confined in a broom closet contained large, open cases of chemicals.

The Enquirer may be considered for chasing the John Edwards’ love child story when no one else would. They did what all other mainstream journalists refused to do – follow a story broke in a tabloid because we sit on our mighty perches and look down on them.

Well, I don’t. My mighty perch was taken away during the last salary cut.

They poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into chasing Edwards, beginning in 2007 when he was still campaigning for president. They did what many reporters have forgotten how to do – taken time to track down a tip and, when the pieces began to fit, kept on the trail, despite official denials from a fairly popular and sympathetic politician who’s wife was fighting cancer. And they also deserve credit for chasing it when no “legitimate” news outlets were.

At this point, some of you who hate tabloid journalism might be saying “Hey, the guy should have a private life, and they shouldn’t have been chasing him.” Well, certainly at first they should’ve. He was a public figure running for president. Ask Gary Hart or any number of other candidates. That makes their business our business, especially when it comes to character flaws.

The news dynamic is getting more and more interesting. The Enquirer and, to a certain extent, TMZ, deserves credit. You may not like who they’re chasing – or that they’re chasing them at all. I know I don’t sometimes. But more and more they’re getting their stories right. That’s a far cry from the days of Enquirer reporters sitting around making up stories about Bigfoot.